A 12-YEAR-OLD boy has relived the moment when he thought he was going to die after being savaged by a dog.

Sean Young was speaking from his hospital bed as he recovered from an operation to repair his shattered wrist.

The youngster was playing football with friends in Coxhoe on Friday when the Staffordshire bull terrier grabbed him.

Sean was bitten 23 times by the Staffordshire bull terrier and was only saved by passing workmen.

Engineers Derek Hedley and Peter Campbell punched and kicked the dog before dragging it off him and pinning it to the ground for 20 minutes.

The dog was put down on the spot when a vet reached the scene.

The youngster, of Boynston Grove, Sedgefield, said: "I couldn't get it off and I thought it was going to kill me.

"I want to thank the two men who got the dog off me because I think it would have killed me if they hadn't.

"I'm really scared of dogs now - I keep having flashbacks. I wake up during the night sweating because I can still see it clamped onto my arm.

"I don't think I will ever be able to forget what it did. I am glad it is dead."

The dog was being walked by a woman when it spotted the youngsters.

A Durham Police spokesman said: "At first it only chased after the ball a couple of times but when Sean performed a handstand it seemed to have the effect of upsetting the animal and sending it into a frenzy.

"The dog went for Sean and seized him by the arm, dragging him along the ground. Its bite was so strong it broke his right wrist. The bull terrier was only stopped when two workmen passing by in a van saw what was happening and leaped out to help."

The men, both 36, work for C and A Pumps in Durham and were heading back to their depot when they saw the incident.

Mr Hedley said: "At first I thought the dog was merely playing with the boy, but saw the dog dragging the boy along the ground. The lad was screaming and hysterical and we started punching it, but it refused to let go.

"I got the choke chain off the owner and we wrapped it around its neck and strangled it for about 30 seconds before it released the boy, who was bleeding badly. The boy was really distraught and was worried he was going to lose his arm."

Sergeant Paul Etherington said: "Thanks to their quick action, the boy's injuries were prevented from being far more serious. We will be sending a formal letter of appreciation to them.

"The owners of the bull terrier have been reported for failing to keep a dog under control and a file will be sent to the Crown Prosecution Service."

Sean underwent a three-hour operation to insert a pin in his arm and have skin grafts, and doctors hope he will not need any more surgery.

His father, David, 48, who works in Saudi Arabia, is frantically trying to get his passport renewed so he can fly home. Ten-year-old brother Callum is on a school trip to Holy Island.

Sean's mum Denise Young, 38, an administration worker with National Savings, said: "There's no way the boys on their own could have got the dog off and I'm grateful for what Derek and Peter did."